Nightmare Before Rizzles
by wulfgrl58
Summary: Nightmare Before Christmas AU. Maura Skellington-Isles is tired of the same old frights and spooks. Jane Evergreen wonders about the world outside of Christmastown. What will happen when their paths cross?


**Author's Musings: Hey y'all, so I just realized I never actually posted this here, just on tumblr, so in honor of it being almost Halloween (Its halfway through September, that makes it almost Halloween k), I thought I would post this. I'm in the middle of a few projects right now so I don't know if this will get updated, but who knows? Anyways, enjoy!**

Maura Skellington-Isles was bored. Every year it was the same thing, the same frights and spooks and scares. She longed for variety, for something new. Yes, she was the Pumpkin Queen, the Queen of the Undead, the Ruler of Halloweentown, but she wasn't feeling very scary anymore.

So one night, just after the high from another successful Halloween had died down, leaving her beloved Halloweentown in a gentle hum of steady activity in preparation for next year, Maura went for a walk, that ended up getting her much more than she ever asked for.

Jane Evergreen was in full Christmas spirit. It was a crisp evening, Halloween was finally over and done, and she could feel the Christmas cheer spreading over Earth. She was so full of excited energy, ready to get started on the final push for everything to get ready, she couldn't sit still. Finally, her supervisor told her to go for a walk to burn off some of that energy, so she found herself strolling through the snow-covered hills of Christmastown, lost in thought as she whistled her favorite carols. She enjoyed her job at the factory, she really did. She liked to think she was a good security guard, making sure people didn't get into the factory who didn't belong, among other tasks, but she was just so...bored. Nothing exciting ever happened in her little town, and Jane longed for an adventure. Little did she know what awaited her on the other side of the hill.

Maura landed with a muffled thump, immediately chilled by the fluffy white substance she had landed in. _What is this fluff? _She thought to herself _surely not actual fluff, cotton particles don't hold temperatures like this_ she mused as she scooped up a handful in her boney fingers. Giving the substance a little bit of pressure, she noticed she could shape it if she patted it. Forming a ball, she gave it a little toss, watching it land in the fresh fluff before her. She started walking, her head on a swivel as she took in the sights of this new place, not noticing the person before her until she rammed into her.

"Hey, woah there!" Jane said, falling backwards in the snow as she collided with a dark figure. Standing awkwardly, she brushed the snow off her jacket "Sorry, didn't see you there-" she said, stopping as her eyes took in the sight in front of her. Dressed impeccably in a black suit over a crisp white dress shirt, the woman was scarily thin, deep hollows in her cheeks and dark circles around her eyes, golden hair perfectly styled, even after falling on her rear. It was a stark contrast to the well-worn forest green pea coat Jane had on over her favorite old jeans, ends stuffed into warm, fleece-lined black leather boots, a red knit hat barely containing her dark curls, all of which was taken in by the thin woman's critical gaze. Maura was startled by the healthy glow on the other woman's cheeks, the bright intelligence that shone in her eyes, and the subtle lines near the corners of her eyes and mouth, lines that denoted many laughs and smiles, something the Pumpkin Queen was not used to, unless they were devilish grins at the fear of others, and those types left no lines, at least not in the resident's of Halloweentown. This new woman was different from all the monsters and ghouls and witches that inhabited the town Maura called home, and the Queen of the Undead felt the hole in her chest begin to warm, like a spark had been struck. Brushing the white substance off her suit, she extended her right hand, surprised by the warmth she felt when the other woman shook it.

"Pleasure to meet you, I'm Maura Skellington-Isles, sorry for knocking you over, I should really look where I'm going"

"Jane Evergreen, and don't worry about it."

**Reviews are better than candy corn!**


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